Indoor golf game



- Sept. 19, 1939. G. L. SCHANZ 2,173,697

INDOOR GOLF GAME Filed Sept. 11, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 WM AW INVENTOR. Gauge 1. A dzalzz,

aw ATTORNEYS Sept. 19, 1939. G. SCHANZ 2,173,697

INDOOR GOLF GAME F'iled Sept. 11, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. l. Jd zmz,

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'HI ATTORNEYS Sept. 19, 1939. G. L. SCHANZ 7 2,173,697

INDOOR GOLF" GAME Filed Sept. 11, 1957 IS Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. aeayel ydlauzz ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 19, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

The present invention relates toan indoor golf gameocf the type which comprehends in miniature .form many of the features of the game as played on the usual open airrcourse.

.; More specifically, .it. relates to a golf game in which artificial greens, ,holes, and sand traps are set up in a roominsuch fashionas to simulate thehazards and difiiculties which the usually encountered in the ofiicial game. The equipment,

no accordingly includes suitable clubs and balls sim- ;il,ar1to those used in theregular. game, but which have been modified structurally in view of the shorter distancesbetween the .holes, so that the -indoor, game duplicates the outdoorgame on a small scale.

, EIhe object ofmy invention is to provide a gnovel 7 green assembly whereby .the component .parts of the greens .may be easilvand conven- -.iently dismantledfor storage when not in use.

Another object of ,the invention is to provide -a green assembly of the above character in which .theplaying surfacesare made of aflexible material in order that the movement of the .ball --may be. suitably. dampened.

5 A further object of myinvention is to provide Waanovel elevated. green which. ofiers new opportunities for demonstration of skill -comparable vto those. of the outdoor golf game.

The improved ,greenassembly of my invengo. tion is attained by forming the. component parts out of .sheet .rubber, sections about onequarter -of aninch thick. Rectangular blocks. of rubber ..are formed or secured at suitable places-on certain of the sheet rubbersectionsand are formed qalwith holes to receive smallwooden dowel pins. The corresponding adjacent sheet rubbersections are piercedto register with the holes in the rubber blocks, and the two sections are secured by passing wooden dowels through the holes in one 40 rubber section into the rubber block formed on the adjacent section. In this fashion a sturdy structure isobtained which at thesame time can be easily and conveniently dismantled for storage.

,,Additional objects will be readily apparent from the following detailed description and from the accompanying diagrams in which:

'.Figure 1 showsa room in-whicha number of greens have been setup in accordance with my Figure2 is a plan view of the number 1 hole -constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 3is an end view partly insection taken along the lines 3-3 of Figure 2 and looking in athe-direction of the, arrows;

Figure 4 is a view in front elevationof the hole illustrated in Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a view in perspective showing the number 2 hole constructed in accordance with this invention; 5

Figure 6 isa view in elevation of the number three hole of an indoor golf game constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure '7 is a plan view of the number 3 hole illustrated in Figure 6, showing the completed as- ,lO sembly;

Figure 8 is a View in perspective of thenumber 4 hole of an indoor golf game constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figure 9 is a view in perspective of the number 1 5 hole of the indoor golf game;

Figure 10 is a View in perspective of the numher 6 hole of the indoor golf game;

Figure 11 is a View in perspective illustrating a tower on which a ball is teed for the number .20 7 hole;

Figure 12is a view in perspective showing the number '7 holeofmyindoor golf game;

Figure 13 is a View in perspective showing the number 8 hole and its hilly approach;

Figure 14 is a view in perspective illustrating a dog-leg bys meansof which the ball may be directed around corners;

Figure 15 is a view'in perspective showing the number 9 hole of this indoor golf game; and ,30

Figure 16 is a side view in elevation of adouble purpose club used in the indoor golf game.

The course formy indoor golf game may be laidout asillustrated in Figure l where a room is shown at 10 and tees are indicated by the encircled numbers l-9 inclusive. As in the official golf game, the ball is driven from a tee to the corresponding hole, the holes being taken in succession, the number of strokes required to cover the course constituting the players score.

Hole. number 1 is shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4,

and it is constructed in the form of an inclined ramp which is somewhat tapered at its base.

The ramp comprises a curved top piece H made of sheetrubber and having an aperture I2 in which a cup [3 is received. Cemented or otherwise secured to the top piece ll area number of square blocks I4 preferably made of rubber and formed with the holes l5 in which the wooden dowel pins l6 are adapted to be received. 'IThe GO top piece II is supported by two curved and inclined side pieces I! and IS, in which the holes I9 are drilled to register with the holes E5 in cross-section cemented at the bottom thereof, which cooperates with the side pieces l1 and I8 to make the structure more rigid. A vertical member 22 is secured to the top piece H and serves to deflect the ball in the direction of the cup or hole l3.

Hole number two is shaped in the form of a frustrum of a pyramid, and is formed of four sheet rubber sides 23 which are secured at the adjacent edges by wooden dowel pins and rubber blocks as described above. A top piece 24 also made of sheet rubber is adapted to fit into a recess formed by the edges of the four side pieces 23, wherein it is supported. An aperature 25 is cut in the top piece 24 in which a cup I3 is received, and which serves as the hole.

The number three hole is elevated above the floor level as shown in Figure 6, and is mounted on a floor stand 26 in which a wooden post 21 is securely received. The green of this hole is formed of a square piece of sheet rubber 28 which is apertured at 29 to receive: the cup |3 which serves as the hole. A U-shaped copper strip 38 is securely fastened to the top piece 28 and is adapted to encompass the post 21 as shown in Figure 7. This hole is supported in an elevated position by means of a metal strut 3| which is riveted to the top piece 28 at 32 and which is adapted to engage one of the notches 33 which are formed in the post 21 as illustrated in Figure 6. In this fashion, the hole may be elevated to any one of three positions which the player may choose. A sheet rubber skirt 34 encloses the post 21 and is fastened to the top piece 28 by means of the wooden dowel pins l6, and the cooperating rubber blocks M which are cemented to the top piece 28, as is described above.

As shown in Figure 8, hole number 4 is formed of two sheet rubber side pieces 35, each of which is similar in shape to a triangle whose vertex has been cut off by a plane parallel to the base. To the side pieces 35, a sheet rubber top piece is secured, the end portions of which are designated by the number 36 to form oppositely disposed, inclined planes. The central portion 31 of the sheet rubber piece rests parallel to the base, and is formed with an aperture 38 in which a cup I3 is received. The respective pieces, as before, are secured at the adjacent edges by the-dowel pins I6 and rubber blocks l4 not shown in the figure.

Hole number 5, illustrated in Figure 9, consists of a baseboard 39 in which a piece of relatively thick sheet rubber 40 is adapted to be vertically secured. An aperture 4| is cut out of the rubber piece 48 through which the ball is to be driven. At this hole, the player is supposed to loft the ball so as to drive it through the aperture 4|.

Figure 10 illustrates hole number 6 at which the player will have to loft the ball onto the green to get it into the hole. This hole comprises four sheet rubber side pieces 42 similar in shape to the side pieces 23 of Figure 6, but much steeper than the latter, so that it is impossible for the ball to be rolled up them. On the side pieces 42 rests a top piece 43 forming a green in the center of which is an aperture 44 adapted to receive a cup [3 which serves as the hole. As before, the pieces are secured by dowel pins and cooperating blocks of rubber on the component pieces. 7

Hole number '7 simulates a play in which the ball is driven down a slop into the hole. It comprises a driving tower shown in Figure 11 and the hole itself which is illustrated in Figure 12. The driving tower comprises four sheet rubber side pieces 45 fastened at the adjacent edges by the dowel pin and rubber block method described above. A heavy sheet rubber top piece 46 is secured to the side pieces 45 in the same fashion and a hole 41 is driven through its center in 5 which an ordinary golf tee 48 may be received. The hole itself is composed of four sheet rubber sides 49, two of which are formed to have a slight grade, while the other two sides 50 and 5| are formed to register with the vertical edges of the sides 49. A sheet rubber top piece 52 rests on the sides and is formed with an aperture 53 in which a cup I3 is received. In this hole also the assembly is fastened by the dowel pin and rubber block method described above.

Hole number 8 is illustrated in Figure 13 and represents a section of rolling hilly land. It comprises a rubber baseboard 54 to which a piece of sheet rubber 55 is secured. The sheet rubber piece 55 is cemented at the points 56 in such a manner as to form three rolls or hills, the largest of which is apertured to receive a cup l3 in the center of the crest thereof. No side pieces are required to support this structure.

The last hole of the course, hole number 9, is shown in Figure 15 and is formed of two side pieces 51 shaped in the form of an incline to which a top piece 58 is secured. The top piece 58 is formed to be Wider at the lower end than at the upper end, and has an aperture 59 out therein, provided with a cup I 3 which serves as the hole. The adjacent edges of the pieces are fastened by dowel pins and rubber blocks suitably disposed on the pieces, substantially in the manner described above.

In this indoor golf game it is sometimes desirable to get the ball around a corner. This may be readily accomplished by the dog-leg shown in Figure 14. It consists of a piece of sheet rubber 60 fastened at the floor line to a rubber angle 6| in such fashion that a ball striking its surface will bounce off at an angle to its original direction of motion.

Figure 16 illustrates a form of club which may be used in this indoor golf game. The club is formed with two surfaces, each of which is used to hit the ball. The rear surface 63 of the club is substantially parallel to the shaft and is used in driving and putting the ball. The front, inclined or niblick surface 62 is used to loft the ball as is required on holes 6 and 9. It will be noted that if the club has a right handed niblick, it will also have a left handed driver and vice versa. This makes it necessary to have a right handed and a left handed club, but this is an advantage in that they can be used by either right handed or left handed players.

This invention accordingly, provides an indoor golf game which can be stored in a minimum amount of space and due to the novel green assembly, it can be set up for playing in a very short time. The golf ball used consists of a cotton or hair filler encased in a. rubber cover, so that the game may be played without fear of damage to furniture or other household fixtures.

While the collapsible sections of the greens and the blocks secured thereto are preferably made of rubber, obviously other materials may be used. For example, wood, compositions or other suitable substances may be substituted in place of rubber. It is to be understood, therefore, that this invention contemplates the use of such substances, and is not to be limited to the use of rubber alone.

Although a specific embodiment of the inven-, 7

tion has been described above, it is not intended to be in any way limited thereby, but is capable of various changes in form and detail within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In an indoor golf game having artificial greens, an elevated green comprising a top piece, a strut secured to the said top piece, a base member, a vertical post positioned by the said base member, said post being formed with a plurality of notches to receive the said strut, means on the top piece to maintain the top piece adjacent the said post, said means, strut, and notches cooperating to maintain the top piece in a desired elevated position.

2. In an indoor golf game having artificial greens, an elevated green comprising a top piece, a strut secured to the said top piece, a base memher, a vertical post positioned by the said base member, said post being formed with a plurality of notches to receive the said strut, a skirt to enclose the said base member and the said post, means to fasten the skirt to the said top piece, a U-shaped element on the top piece to encompass the post, said U-shaped member, strut, and notches cooperating to maintain the top piece in a desired elevated position.

GEORGE L. SCHANZ. 

